A proposal to change the job qualifications for Jefferson Parish inspector general drew new opposition Thursday when Mark Spears Jr. became the fifth Parish Council member to balk at the idea. "It makes it seem like something is improper," Spears said.

The Ethics and Compliance Commission, which has conducted the IG search and selected four finalists to interview, is circulating a proposal for three changes. The most controversial change would eliminate the requirement that candidates be certified inspectors general; the commission instead proposes giving its winning candidate a year after hiring to be certified.

Commission attorney Steve Scheckman said most inspectors general aren't members of the Association of Inspectors General, which issues the certification. He said New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux told the Jefferson commission that work experience is more essential than the certification.

As it happens, the change would appear to benefit Howard Schwartz, a former FBI executive who works for Quatrevaux. Of the four finalists, he is the only one not to list inspector general certification on his resume. Two council members, including Spears, had gone on record before the latest proposal to complain that Schwartz had an unjust inside track on the job.

Howard Schwartz, left, and Mark Spears

"It's not fair to the other people," Spears said of the proposed change.

Spears joined council members Elton Lagasse, Cynthia Lee-Sheng, Ricky Templet and Ben Zahn in expressing skepticism, if not outright opposition, to the proposed changes. Councilman Paul Johnston has said he would be comfortable with relaxing the certification requirement. Councilman Chris Roberts has not stated a position.

The other qualification changes proposed by the Ethics and Compliance Commission are to:

Reduce, from the current four years to two years the length of employment in the Jefferson inspector general's office required for an in-house employee to be eligible for the inspector general position.

Delete a ban on employees in Louisiana state agencies and local governments outside Jefferson Parish being named inspector general until five years after they leave the agency or government. A five-year waiting period would remain for all Louisiana elected officials and all Jefferson government employees.